This invention relates to squeezable toys, and particularly to non-consumable chewable pet toys having sound-emitting devices for carnivorous animals such as dogs and cats.
Non-consumable chewable pet toys provide a variety of beneficial functions for the pet carnivore. Chewing on such toys provides the carnivore with masticatory exercise, as well as dental prophylaxis. Irregular shapes impart erratic movements to the toy when rolled or bounced, thereby providing exercise for the animal. Such toys often provide a training function, teaching the carnivore to chew on the toy, rather than on furniture or other valuable items.
To enhance the attractiveness of the toy to the carnivore, sensory attractants have been incorporated in the toy. These toys attract the carnivore and encourage the carnivore to chew on the toy, rather than on furniture or other personal property. Thus, the sensory attractant is particularly advantageous as a training device for the carnivore.
One attractant commonly employed in chewable pet toys is a noise-producing device that emits a squeak or other attractant sound due to air flowing through the device when the carnivore chews on the toy. Such a noise-producing device, commonly called a “squeaker”, usually comprises a small rigid housing, usually constructed of plastic, forming a passage containing a reed or other acoustic vibrating device that emits a sound when air passes through the passage. The squeaker is ordinarily mounted in an external wall of the toy so that compression of a squeaker chamber within the toy, such as by chewing by the carnivore, forces air through the passage to emit a sound. Upon relaxation of the squeaker chamber, the chamber returns to its relaxed, or inflated, state, drawing air through the squeaker passage and again emitting a sound. In most cases, the squeaker chamber is integral with the toy, although in some cases the squeaker device includes its own chamber. In either case, the squeaker chamber is closed so that the squeaker passage forms the only passage for air into and out of the chamber. The squeaker, and its associated squeaker chamber, are ordinarily confined to a small region of the toy.
Most carnivorous animals are attracted by the sound from the squeaker to chew on the chew toy at the region of the squeaker device. Consequently, most animals tend to chew at only the location of the squeaker in the toy, eventually tearing or rupturing the toy at that location. When the toy tears or ruptures at the region of the squeaker, a risk exists that the animal will dislodge the rigid squeaker housing from the toy and will swallow the squeaker, possibly injuring the animal.